What is a verb word list

Verbs – Vocabulary Word List

Which is verb in this sentence?

In this sentence, the verb is “were.” It shows a state of being that was in the past, so it is a past tense verb. Example: After lunch, I will call my mother. In this sentence, “will call” is the verb phrase. It shows that something will happen in the future, so it is a future tense verb.

What is a verb example in a sentence?

Gary ate the cookies. The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating, and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other examples: He kicked John.

Which part of the sentence is a verb?

predicate

• accept. ache. acknowledge. act. add. admire. admit.
• babble. back. bake. balance. balk. ban.
• cajole. calculate. call. camp. care. carry.
• dam. damage. dance. dare. deal. debate.
• earn. eat. echo. edit. educate. elope.
• face. fade. fail. fall. falter. fasten.
• garden. gasp. gather. gaze. gel. get.
• hail. hammer. hand. handle. hang. happen.

What is a simple definition of a verb?

What is a verb? Verbs are words that show an action (sing), occurrence (develop), or state of being (exist). Almost every sentence requires a verb. The basic form of a verb is known as its infinitive. The forms call, love, break, and go are all infinitives.

Can you have 2 verbs in a sentence?

In English, sentences have two basic parts: a subject and a verb. When these two items are linked together in a sentence, a clause is produced. Some clauses can contain two verbs. These constructions are called compound verbs, meaning that two verbs appear in a single sentence, even when there is only one subject.

What are main verbs?

The main verb is also called the lexical verb or the principal verb. This term refers to the important verb in the sentence, the one that typically shows the action or state of being of the subject. The primary helping verbs are to be, to do, and to have.

What are the 4 types of verbs?

There are four TYPES of verbs: intransitive, transitive, linking, and passive.

How many verbs are there?

There are sixteen verbs used in Basic English. They are: be, do, have, come, go, see, seem, give, take, keep, make, put, send, say, let, get….Kinds of Verbs.

auxiliary verbs	lexical verbs
non-modal verbs	He is sleeping	He is sleeping

What type of verb is know?

know used as a verb: To be acquainted or familiar with; to have encountered. “I know your mother, but I’ve never met your father.” To have knowledge of; to have memorised information, data, or facts about.

How many special verbs are there in English?

24 such verbs

What are the 24 special verbs in English?

Have, has, had, do, does, did, will, would, shall and should. There are five more helping verbs: may, might, must, can, could!

What is the verb for special?

To make distinct or separate, particularly: (obsolete, intransitive) To go into specific details. (rare, transitive) To specify: to mention specifically.

What is regular verb example?

For example, “bake” is a regular verb because the past tense is “baked” and the future tense is “will bake.” However, a word such as “write” is an irregular verb, because the past tense form is not “writed,” but is rather “wrote.” This article focuses only on listing the regular verbs.

What is called regular verb?

A regular verb is any verb whose conjugation follows the typical pattern, or one of the typical patterns, of the language to which it belongs. A verb whose conjugation follows a different pattern is called an irregular verb.

What are the 50 irregular verbs?

50 Irregular Verbs

• become, became, become.
• begin, began, begun.
• blow, blew, blown.
• break, broke, broken.
• bring, brought, brought.
• buy, bought, bought.
• choose, chose, chosen.
• come, came, come.

What is regular verb in English grammar?

A regular verb is one that conforms to the usual rule for forming its simple past tense and its past participle. In English, the “usual” rule is to add “-ed” or “-d” to the base form of the verb to create the past forms.

What is the regular verb of play?

Verbs have three different basic or simple times that they could have taken place. These three times are called the simple tenses….Verb Tenses.

Present Tense	Past Tense
work	worked
love	loved
play	played

What are verbs in English grammar?

A verb is a word that expresses an action ( to run), occurrence ( to happen), or state of being ( to appear). It is one of the nine parts of speech in English grammar. Verbs indicate time (past, present, future) and are used in English in relatively many verb tenses.

What is the regular verb of arrive?

Regular verbs: arrive

Infinitive	Past simple	Past participle
arrive	arrived	arrived

What is the verb of arrive?

verb (used without object), ar·rived, ar·riv·ing. to come to a certain point in the course of travel; reach one’s destination: He finally arrived in Rome. to come to be near or present in time: The moment to act has arrived.

Is arrive a doing word?

The verb arrive is never used with the preposition to: ✗ He meets them at an inn before they arrive to the house. Note that with the word home, no preposition is used: ✗ When they finally arrive at home, all they want to do is sleep.

What is the verb of stay?

intransitive verb. 1 : to stop going forward : pause. 2 : to stop doing something : cease. 3 : to continue in a place or condition : remain stayed up all night went for a short vacation but stayed on for weeks stay put till I come back.

What is the verb of delivery?

transitive verb. 1 : to set free and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil — Matthew 6:13 (King James Version) 2a : to take and hand over to or leave for another : convey deliver a package. b : hand over, surrender delivered the prisoners to the sheriff delivered themselves over to God.

What is the verb of say?

Conjugation of verb ‘Say’

Base Form (Infinitive):	To Say
Past Simple:	Said
Past Participle:	Said
3rd Person Singular:	Says
Present Participle/Gerund:	Saying

What kind of verb is work?

[intransitive, transitive] to move or pass to a particular place or state, usually gradually + adv./prep. It will take a while for the drug to work out of your system. work your way + adv./prep. (figurative) He worked his way to the top of his profession.

What are the Different Types of Verbs?

Looking for a verbs list? Fret not. Here’s a quick guide on the list of verbs with illustrative examples. But before we get down to the list of verbs, let’s quickly brush through the definition of a verb. 

A verb in the simplest sense is a word that describes an action, an event or a state. It tells you what the subject of a sentence is doing. The verbs (like those in the verb list below) are usually the main words in a sentence and without them a sentence is incomplete. Having said that, how do you recognize a verb in a sentence?

Well, verbs (like those in the verbs list below) are typically used after a noun or a pronoun. The nouns or pronouns in such cases, are referred to as subjects. 

For example: 

• Anthony went to the market. 

In this case the action of Anthony physically having went to the market is the verb. 

In this guide, verbs are categorized into a few different lists: 

• action verbs list
• linking verbs list
• helping verbs list
• irregular verbs list

Except for the linking verb list, the other categories break down into different types. The next list of verbs can be physical or mental. The list of helping verbs can be auxiliary or modal. The list of irregular verbs shows verbs in different tenses. 

Learning the words in each verb list can help you develop your English-speaking skills. To make comprehension easier, example sentences have been provided in the verb list sections.

List of Action Verbs

In an action verbs list, each verb can be used to state a subject’s action in a sentence. There are two types of action words you’ll find in this list of action verbs.

Type 1: Physical

The physical verb list features action words. In other words, the words within a physical action verb list usually describe an action that someone or something physically does. In a nutshell, a particular motion made using one’s body or a tool to complete an action is referred to as an action verb. For example, let’s start with a short list of action verbs: 

• Walk
• Open
• Speak 

All of the words on this short action verb list describe physical actions. The verb list below is a much longer list of action verbs that are useful to know.

Physical Action Verb List:

Act	Answer	Approve	Arrange
Break	Build	Buy	Coach
Color	Cough	Create	Complete
Cry	Dance	Describe	Draw
Drink	Eat	Edit	Enter
Exit	Imitate	Invent	Jump
Laugh	Lie	Listen	Paint
Plan	Play	Read	Replace
Run	Scream	See	Shop
Shout	Sing	Skip	Sleep
Sneeze	Solve	Study	Teach
Touch	Turn	Walk	Win
Write	Whistle	Yank	Zip

Hopefully you already recognized a few (or all) of the words on this action verbs list. They are all very useful! If you think you’ll need it, feel free to print this action verbs list for future reference.  

Before moving on from the physical action verb list and looking at the mental verbs list below, consider reading these resources explaining MLA format and APA format. They could help you understand how to format your next writing assignment. Or, if you’re ready, let’s move on to the next list of action verbs.

Type 2: Mental

The second type of action verbs list is for mental action words. Mental action words describe intellectual processes that don’t happen physically, but rather take place in your mind. Examples of mental action words (that are part of the action verb list below) include think, feel, and want.

List of Verbs Describing Mental Action:

Concern	Decide	Dislike
Doubt	Feel	Forget
Hate	Hear	Hope
Impress	Know	Learn
Like	Look	Love
Mind	Notice	Own
Perceive	Realize	Recognize
Remember	See	Smell
Surprise	Please	Prefer
Promise	Think	Understand

It’s important to understand that some mental action words on this action verbs list don’t refer to the literal use of the word. For instance, the mental list of verbs includes the words see, look, hear, and smell. These words could also be included on a list of action verbs describing physical motion. When you don’t use these words in the literal sense, they become mental action words. In other words, these words could be found on both a physical and mental action verbs list.  

Here are some examples showing the difference:

• Action: I can see Paul jumping up and down.

In this example , you can literally see Paul jumping around.

• Mental: Frank returned from Europe yesterday? I see.

However, in the above example you can’t literally see Frank returning from Europe. Instead, “I see” means to understand. Therefore, ‘see ’used in this context is a mental word.

• Action: These roses smell wonderful.

This example refers to the physical action of smelling flowers and comments on their scent.

• Mental: Something smells funny about this situation.

On the other hand, in this example, nothing literally smells funny. Instead, it means that there’s something strange and unusual about the situation.

To summarize, there are hundreds of words that could go on an action verbs list. The physical verbs list and the mental list of verbs only include a few basic words of each type. There are many more to learn and they’re all fun to use. In order to expand your vocabulary, it’s helpful to study another list of action verbs. For a PDF list of action verbs, visit this site. 

The next verbs list is a list of linking verbs. Even if you don’t know what they are yet, these words are very important! Pay close attention to the list of linking verbs below. You never know when a list of linking verbs might come in handy.

Linking Verbs List

There’s a list of verbs that do not describe any action. Instead, these words explain a state of being such as a condition or relationship.They are also commonly known as linking verbs, and they make up the linking verb list below. 

The words in the linking verbs list are words that connect the subject of a sentence to specific information about the subject. In other words, linking verbs connect the subject to a predicate noun or a predicate adjective. 

A list of linking verbs could also be called a ‘being verbs list.’ This is because the words within a linking verbs list show a state of being. You’ll notice that most verbs on the being verbs list are forms of ‘to be’. Other verbs like ‘become’ and ‘seem’ also belong on a being verbs list. 

These ‘being’ verbs (see the list of linking verbs/being verbs list below for examples) are used with subjects that are both in past and present tense. Being verbs like ‘was/were’ should be used instead of ’be’ in the past tense, and ‘is/am/are’ in the present tense. For instance: 

• Amy was being cynical.
• We are being noisy.
• Andrew was afraid of Luna.
• You appear to be scared.

The being/linking words in the sentences above are included in the being verbs list below. You can use words in the linking verbs list to connect the subject with other words in a sentence. There aren’t as many words on a linking verb list as there are on a verb list for mental and physical action words, but each word in the list of linking verbs is nonetheless important.

Linking Verbs List / Being Verbs List:

Am	Appear	Are
Be	Become	Been
Being	Feel	Grow
Is	Look	Remain
Seem	Smell	Sound
Stay	Taste	Turn
Was	Were

As you can see on the linking verbs list above, all forms of to be are important linking words. It would be difficult to have a conversation about yourself without using any of the words on this linking verbs list. Want to remember all of these? Feel free to print and save this linking verb list for reference. You could also look for another linking verb list and examples to study.

Now that you’re well-versed with action words, and the linking verb list, let’s move on to helping words.

Helping Verbs List

Now that we’ve gone over the list of linking verbs let’s talk about helping verbs. A helping verb ‘helps’ or supports the main verb. There are two types of words within the helping verbs list: auxiliaries and modals. 

Both auxiliaries and modals add more meaning to the main action or the being word. They can also describe the period of a physical or mental action taking  place. They can also add emphasis to your sentences and indicate an event happening. 

Auxiliaries (like those in our helping verb list below) extend the main verb and help show time, tense or possibility.

Examples of auxiliary verbs:

• Matthew is going out for lunch. 
• I have finished my homework. 

Modals indicate possibility, ability or expectation. A list of helping verbs that are modal are further down this page, but let’s start with a few example sentences; they’ll help us understand how they’re used.

Examples of modals:

• Wilson may want to talk to you again. 
• Alexa must go to work today.

If you want to learn how to create complex sentences, then it’s important to study a helping verbs list. Here’s your first list of helping verbs.

List of Helping Verbs, Auxiliaries

Auxiliary Word	And all its forms…
To Be	Am, Are, Is, Was, Were, Be, Been
To Have	Have, Has, Had
To Do	Do, Does, Did

So, how do you know  that the words in this auxiliary helping verbs list are actually ‘helpful’ or act as standalone words? Simply look for other verbs (action or being words) in the sentence. If you notice any form of ‘to be’, ‘to have’, or ‘to do’ before another action or being word, then you’re looking at a sentence with an auxiliary. 

Using the previous auxiliary helping verbs list, can you figure out which word is the auxiliary in the examples below?

• Charlie’s mother is cooking breakfast for us tomorrow.
• Tina hasn’t exercised today.

Both modals and auxiliaries can be found on a list of helping verbs. Modals are usually followed by the infinitive of another verb. Just like the list of linking verbs, the list of modals within the list of helping verbs is also small and therefore easy to remember. A verbs list with modal verbs is given below.

List of Helping Verbs, Modals

Can	Could	May
Might	Must	Ought to
Shall	Should	Will
Would

Here are some examples of how modals, from the above list of verbs, explain uncertainty, obligation, and possibility. 

• I must go to school today.

There’s an obligation to go to school.

• You could go to school today.

In this sentence, it’s possible that you will not go to school today.

• Jennifer’s not sick and should go to school today.

And in this sentence, it’s possible that Jennifer doesn’t go to school.

• If Tommy feels better tonight, he might go to school tomorrow.

Whereas in this sentence there’s a chance that Tommy may or may not go to school. 

Now that you are well versed with a linking verbs list, a list of verbs that are ‘helpful,’ and a verbs list for action words, let’s move on to the next section: a list of irregular verbs. 

Irregular Verbs List

The next verbs list you’ll look at is the list of action verbs that are irregular, thus they are part of the irregular verbs list. So what exactly are irregular verbs? Well, verbs that do not follow the normal rules for conjugation fall into the irregular verbs list. 

Basically, most ‘normal’ words in the past tense have an -ed at the end. Examples include jumped, skipped, and leaped. 

• jump → jumped
• skip → skipped
• leap → leaped
• walk → walked

This conjugation pattern applies to most words. However, irregular verbs — like those in the irregular verbs list below — don’t follow this normal pattern. For example:

• Draw → drew, drawn

These verbs shift tenses according to its own set of rules, and thus belong on our list of irregular verbs. 

The words in the list of irregular verbs below are shown with their past simple and past participle versions. You could say, that it is also an irregular past tense verbs list. 

An irregular past tense verbs list generally includes words like brought, were, became, etc. The irregular past tense verbs list below presents English past tense verbs.

Irregular Past Tense Verbs List:

BASE FORM	PAST SIMPLE	PAST PARTICIPLE
Be	Was or Were	Been
Become	Became	Become
Bring	Brought	Brought
Build	Built	Built
Catch	Caught	Caught
Draw	Drew	Drawn
Fly	Flew	Flown
Get	Got	Got
Go	Went	Gone
Grow	Grew	Grown
Hold	Held	Held
Learn	Learnt/Learned	Learnt/Learned
Smell	Smelt	Smelt

Did you come across any new verbs in this irregular verbs list? There are many other words that could be added to this irregular past tense verbs list, but this list of verbs is a good start. Hopefully, this list of irregular verbs (or irregular past tense verbs list) will help you write your assignments with greater precision. Once you’re done studying the list of irregular verbs, visit this informative site for further learning.

Congratulations on reviewing many verb list types! Now that you have finished reading  a comprehensive linking verbs list and studied a helpful list of verbs along with an irregular verbs list, why not get some help on your next English assignment? The paper checker from Citation Machine Plus lets you make citations in APA format and more citation styles. Try it out today!

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Published March 5, 2019. Updated April 16, 2020.

What is a verb?

Verb Meaning / Definition

A verb is a doing word that shows an action, an event or a state. A sentence may either have a main verb, a helping verb or both. In other words, a verb is a word that informs about an action, an existence of something or an occurrence. The verb is the main word in a sentence. No sentence can be completed without a verb.

The word ‘verb’ derived from the Latin word ‘verbum‘.

Types of Verbs

1. Main Verbs (or Action Verbs)
2. Helping Verbs
3. Linking Verbs
4. – Transitive Verbs
5. – Intransitive Verbs

Main Verbs or Action Verbs

Main verbs or action verbs are used to express action; something that an animal, a person or a thing does. In each of the following sentences, we only have a main verb.

• The sun shines.
• The horse neighs.
• The monkey jumps.

Helping Verbs

As the name suggests, helping verbs help or support the main verb.

• We are learning about helping verbs. (are: helping verb; learning: main verb)
• We are in the Green House Club. (are: helping verb)
• You should complete the work by tomorrow. (should: helping verb; complete: main verb)

State of Being Verbs (Linking Verbs)

State of Being verbs state that something ‘is’. State of being verbs also known as linking verbs. Linking verbs explain a link between the subject of the sentence and a noun or adjective being linked to it.

List of Example Sentences

• The flowers are bright.
• Diamond is the hardest substance.
• I feel scared.

Understanding Verbs

The words: am, is, are, was, and were, belong to the verb “to be”. We use ‘am’ or ‘was’ with the pronoun ‘I’. We use ‘is’ or ‘was’ when the subject of the sentence is singular. We use ‘are’ or ‘were’ when the subject of the sentence is plural.

List of Example Sentences

1. I was late for school yesterday.
2. I am twelve years old.
3. She is a wonderful singer.
4. These questions are difficult.
5. He was planning to meet the doctor.
6. The Hollywood actors are famous.
7. They were winners last year.
8. It is a great feeling to win the trophy.

We use ‘is‘ with singular nouns and pronouns ‘he, she, it‘.

List of Example Sentences

1. My school is near my house.
2. This restaurant is closing down.
3. She is writing a postcard.
4. Dog is a faithful animal.
5. Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
6. He is acting strange today.

We use ‘are‘ with plural nouns and pronouns ‘we, you, they‘.

List of Example Sentences

1. The balloons are colourful.
2. They are best friends.
3. The kites are flying high in the sky.
4. They are planning to go by train.
5. We are going to win the match.
6. You are writing so untidily!

We use ‘are‘ when we join two or more nouns.

List of Example Sentences

1. John and Sam are brothers.
2. Joseph and we are neighbours.
3. Anne and Sue are enjoying the play.
4. Sharon and Jenny are competing for the gold medal.
5. Mrs. and Mr. Lee are planning to visit New Zealand.

Subject-Verb Agreement

It is very important to take care of the subject and verb agreement while framing a sentence. It is very important that a verb must be compatible and agree with its subject to make a correct and valid sentence.

Let us understand with the help of an example.

If we write:

• Phil is playing with a ball. (Correct)!
• Phil are playing with a ball. (Incorrect) X

In the first sentence, the subject (Phil) is singular, so we need a singular verb (is playing). The sentence is correct. In the second sentence, the subject (Phil) is singular, but the verb is plural (are playing). The sentence is incorrect.

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule 1 – Subject-Verb agreement with a singular noun
If the subject is a singular noun or a pronoun (he, I, she, it), we must ensure that we use a singular verb to write a correct sentence.

List of Example Sentences

1. She is playing the guitar.
2. The postman is asking for your signature.
3. The movie has caught everyone’s attention.
4. Does he know the minister well?
5. She is cheering the team.
6. He enjoys music.
7. My mom drives carefully.
8. The moon revolves round the earth.
9. Is it raining?

Rule 2 – Subject-Verb agreement with plural noun
If the subject is plural (we, they, those, you), we need a plural verb to write a correct sentence.

List of Example Sentences

1. The boys were dancing in the corridor.
2. The children are playing in the garden.
3. The students were writing their exam.
4. Two of our girls have won the quiz.
5. We have finished our homework.
6. Both the boys have worked hard.
7. Philip and Luke are swimming.
8. The teachers are correcting the answer sheets.
9. Farmers work in the fields.

Rule 3 – Subject-Verb agreement with collective nouns
The collective nouns are considered as singular. We use singular verbs with them.

List of Example Sentences

1. The crowd was very noisy.
2. Our team has to win the match.
3. The audience is having a gala time.
4. The band is playing the school song.
5. The choir is singing beautifully.
6. My family is from Poland.
7. Our cricket team is the best in the whole town.
8. A bouquet of flowers was presented to the chief guest.

Rule 4 – Subject-Verb agreement with ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’
The verb must agree with the noun or the pronoun that is closer to ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’.

List of Example Sentences

1. Neither he nor I am guilty.
2. Neither Bob nor his friends want the party.
3. Either you or your sister is telling a lie.
4. Either Nancy or Mary is typing the letter.
5. Neither Julia nor her parents know the way to the passport office.

Rule 5 – Subject-Verb agreement with indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns like ‘nobody’, ‘everybody’, ‘someone’, ‘somebody’, ‘one’ are always singular.

List of Example Sentences

1. Everybody is liking the new car.
2. Someone is calling for you.
3. Nobody is allowed to enter that room.
4. Everybody likes Mrs. Ola, the new History teacher.
5. One of the passengers was asking for tomato soup.
6. Somebody is knocking at the door.

Rule 6
We use singular verbs for uncountable nouns.

List of Example Sentences

1. There is sufficient food in the refrigerator.
2. Cold weather is a problem in this part of the country.
3. Sugar is yet to get over in the container.
4. Salt is obtained from sea water.
5. Milk with cornflakes is one of my favourite breakfast options.

Rule 7
A plural noun takes a singular verb when it is a name such as Paris, China, Arabian Nights, and so on.

1. China is the most densely populated country.
2. Norway is a very cold country.
3. ‘The Power of Positive Talk’ is a good book.

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Types of Action Verbs

There are two types of action verbs:

1. Transitive Verbs
2. Intransitive Verbs

Transitive Verbs

A transitive verb expresses an action directed towards a person, place or thing. The action expressed by a transitive verb passes from the doer or the subject to the receiver of the action. Words that receive the action of a transitive verb are called objects.

For example:

1. The teacher made the question paper.
2. Peter cut the cake.

In the above two sentences, we can see that the words in green colour ‘the question paper‘ and ‘the cake‘ complete the sense of the sentence or work as objects. The two sentences would not make complete sense without the objects.

1. The teacher made ……………….. what? (the question paper)
2. Peter cut ……………….. what? (the cake)

In the above sentences, the verbs ‘made‘ and ‘cut‘ are transitive verbs. A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning.

Example Sentences of Transitive Verb

1. Birds have feathers.
2. The teacher praised the pupil.
3. She is eating a pear.
4. I like English.
5. They are playing football.
6. The potter has made a beautiful pot.
7. Dennis bought a bicycle.
8. She is writing an essay.

Intransitive Verbs

A verb which does not need an object to make complete sense is called an intransitive verb. An intransitive verb expresses action (or tells something about the subject) without the action passing to a receiver or object. It can stand alone in the predicate because its meaning is complete.

Example Sentences of Intransitive Verb

1. Mr. Becker jogs every day.
2. The wicked hunter was hiding.
3. Anne looks very beautiful.
4. Mr. John speaks loudly.
5. The ship sank rapidly.
6. The department store opens at six o’clock.
7. Mr. Ben is driving carefully.
8. The wind blew strongly.

Interesting Grammar Facts about Verbs

To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ after the verb. If you can find an answer in the sentence, the verb is transitive.

Some verbs are always intransitive, such as: to snore or to fall. It is incorrect to say: She snores her nose.

For example: She snores a lot. In this example ‘a lot’ is not an object but an adverb. It doesn’t represent what the person snores but rather how or how much she snores.

Some verbs are always transitive, such as to recognise or to merit. It is somewhat incorrect to say: “Ah, yes, I recognise” or she certainly does merit.

Double Object

Some transitive verbs have two objects. Those things that you do for someone or you give to someone are called direct objects. The person who receives the thing is called the indirect object.

Examples of Double Object

1. The manager gave her the money.
2. Mother is reading Michael a story.
3. Nancy baked a cake for me.
4. Can you fetch me a cup and a plate?

In above examples:

• Verbs: ‘gave, reading, baked and fetch’.
• Indirect object: ‘her, Michael, me, me’.
• Direct object: ‘money, story, cake, cup and a plate’.

Verbs are one of the eight main parts of speech, and we can’t form sentences without them. A verb explains the action of a sentence, but that’s just one part of what verbs do.

Use this guide to familiarize yourself with the types of verbs and what they do, and peruse this list of nearly 300 common verbs. There are over 1000 possible verbs you can use in the English language, and I’m sure you’ll recall using some verbs on these lists more than others. This verbs list includes example sentences to help you expand your vocabulary and gain a better understanding of verb words and what they do.

What Is a Verb?

A verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence and forming the main part of a predicate of a sentence. Remember, a predicate is the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb that says something about the subject. All sentences must have a verb, though a sentence doesn’t have to have all eight parts of speech. Verb words dictate the action that’s taking place, so they’re necessary for a sentence to make sense. 

Types of Verbs and Verb Examples

There are three types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. Action verbs are verbs that express action or possession. Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive. Transitive verb words always have a noun that receives the action of the verb, known as a direct object. They can sometimes also have an indirect object, which is a noun or phrase that occurs in addition to a direct object. Below are verb definitions and verb examples in a sentence.

Transitive verb example: I washed the dishes yesterday. The verb is washed, and the direct object is dishes, since they’re the noun being acted upon.

Transitive verb example 2: Send her the book. The verb is send, and the direct object is book; the indirect object is her. Intransitive verbs do not address an object or an indirect object. It has a modifier, but not an object.

Intransitive verb example: I went outside to enjoy the fresh air. The intransitive verb is went. There is not a direct object that is received by went. Some verbs are always intransitive, like go, lie, sneeze, sit, die, and arrive. Others like eat, can be either intransitive or transitive.

Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a noun or adjective that describes it.

Linking verb example: This oatmeal tastes bland. In this sentence, oatmeal is the noun/subject, and bland is the adjective. Tastes is the linking verb that connects them.

Linking verb example 2: All the kittens are adorable. The subject is kittens, and the adjective is adorable. The linking verb is are.

Helping verbs are used before action or linking verbs to convey additional information. The main verb with an accompanying helping verb is called a verb phrase.

Helping verb example: The kids will help with the new puppy. In this sentence, kids is the subject, help is the main (action) verb, and will is the helping verb.

Verbs List

These verb examples lists contain just some of the most commonly used verbs in the English language. There are so many more verbs you can use, and you can utilize a Thesaurus to find words with similar meanings. All of the examples on this verbs list are given in present tense, but the examples may be in past or present tense.

The list is separated into action, helping, and linking verbs. You may notice that some words like am, appear, was etc. can act as multiple types of verbs. When you see verbs that are on multiple lists, refer to the descriptions of the types of verbs above, and notice how the words differ in meaning in the examples. 

Action Verbs

Achieve	The student achieved a high score on her SATs.
Assemble	The Avengers and their friends assembled for one last battle against Thanos.
Accelerate	You can accelerate your progress on the SAT prep by signing up for tutoring.
Administer	The doctor administered several tests.
Allow	This restaurant doesn’t allow smoking.
Apply	Most students apply to several colleges.
Appear	She appeared out of nowhere.
Appoint	The mayor will appoint a new fire chief in the coming weeks.
Analyze	My co-worker analyzes tons of data every day.
Budget	We budgeted for a new couch this month.
Buy	They bought dinner three nights in a row.
Balance	She balanced carefully on the beam at the start of her routine.
Bring	Make sure you bring dessert to Thanksgiving this year.
Build	We’re building a new bookshelf.
Chase	The cat chased the mouse around the yard.
Check	My neighbor will check my mail when I go on vacation.
Choose	You have to choose your meal for the reception.
Close	Close the door when you leave the room.
Collaborate	In order to collaborate on this project, our team met twice a week.
Collect	Collecting coins is one of my favorite hobbies.
Comment	I always make sure to like and comment on my friends’ posts.
Communicate	With family overseas, we’re lucky that we can communicate through video chats.
Compare	It’s hard not to compare yourself to your classmates, but you should focus on achieving your own goals.
Convince	I convinced my friend to start a study group.
Continue	The team continued to the finals.
Coordinate	You have to coordinate the food, music, and guest list for the upcoming event.
Cut	I cut my finger while chopping vegetables.
Debate	I’m excited to watch the presidential candidates debate each other in the primaries.
Defend	Are you prepared to defend your thesis?
Decide	He finally decided on what watermelon to buy.
Discover	Marine biologists have discovered a new shark species.
Eat	Eating brunch with my friends is one of my favorite weekend activities.
Encourage	My favorite teacher encouraged me to take more creative writing courses.
Establish	We established the company as a leader in our industry.
Earn	I earned an A on my last biology test.
Examine	You should really get that pain in your knee examined.
Expect	I expect results by the end of tomorrow.
Experiment	My team is ready to experiment with different marketing strategies.
Explain	Please explain the instructions again.
Explore	She loves exploring the coves down by the ocean.
Fall	Be careful you don’t fall when walking on the icy sidewalk.
Feed	I know a man that feed the pigeons every morning.
Fry	It’s so hot that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.
Fight	Growing up, my sister and I fought all the time.
Fit	This dress fits really well.
Follow	The ducklings follow the mother duck wherever she goes.
Go	We went to my favorite restaurant for my birthday.
Give	My teacher gave me great advice.
Grow	The tree I planted grew so much over this past year.
Gain	She gained several new friends in his first year at school.
Generate	We need to think of strategies to help us generate more clients.
Hang	Hang the painting on the wall in the hallways.
Happen	What happened to your ankle?
Hate	I hate how nervous I get before taking a test.
Hear	She heard her phone ring in the theater, but she ignored it.
Howl	Some dogs howl to get attention.
Hop	Hop on one foot while you jump rope to improve your workout.
Hug	My niece loves to hug her stuffed animals.
Help	I helped make the brownies for the school bake sale.
Hold	She held onto her water bottle while they waited in line.
Hurt	I tripped and hurt my knee.
Hide	She always hides her Halloween candy from her siblings.
Identify	The witness identified the defendant in the trial.
Ignore	Ignore the loud music playing in the dorm next door while you’re studying.
Imply	The story implied that the characters thought that their lives were unfair.
Illustrate	Mary GrandPré illustrated the U.S. editions of the Harry Potter books.
Inform	Please inform the class about your findings on Great White Sharks.
Include	They included all the information in the report.
Introduce	I»m pleased to introduce our new student!
Invest	I invested in some stocks for the first time.
Irritate	Don’t irritate your siblings.
Jog	She jogged past the duck pond and over the bridge.
Joke	You shouldn’t joke about sensitive topics.
Jump	Jump over this log on the hiking trail.
Judge	Do you judge a book by its cover?
Keep	I kept my favorite childhood stuffed animals when I moved out.
Knock	I knocked lightly on the door.
Kick	She loved kicking the punching bag during a workout.
Kill	In writing, some people advise you to «kill your darlings.»
Laugh	My friends and I laugh together all the time.
Learn	We’re learning about cell function in my biology class.
Lay	He laid down on the couch for a quick nap.
Leave	Don’t leave without your lunch.
Lie	He lied on his resume and got caught.
Live	I live in the United States.
Lose	He lost all of the pens he bought before school even started.
Listen	Listen carefully to lectures and take notes.
Lift	Together we listed the heavy package and carried it into the house.
Love	I love both my dogs equally.
Like	I like my new coffee table.
Make	He made a collage to show his family history.
Manage	I manage all the fundraising efforts for our volunteer group.
Maintain	She maintains a busy schedule.
Measure	Measure out one cup of flour and a half cup of sugar for this recipe.
Meet	I’m meeting with my team members Wednesday for our final project.
Mix	Mixing and matching your suits can help create a fun professional look.
Mention	She mentioned that she is applying to college this fall.
Melt	The cheese melted on the bread as soon as it went into the oven.
Move	My family and I moved last year.
Need	I need a new jacket this winter.
Negotiate	The agent is negotiating the player’s contract.
Observe	He observed several stars through his telescope.
Obtain	We obtained some information to help with our report.
Order	The doctor ordered more blood tests following the appointment.
Offer	She offered her tutoring services.
Open	Open the door for the cat.
Own	I owned a horse when I was a kid.
Paint	Painting with watercolors is a relaxing hobby.
Pass	The team passed the ball to each other.
Pay	We paid for lunch for the whole team.
Performed	The students performed a short play that they wrote.
Persist	Though the work is hard, you have to persist and get it done.
Promise	The couple promised lifelong commitment at their wedding.
Play	The kids played outside all day in the summer.
Pinch	I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Parse	He read the report carefully and parsed out all the relevant information.
Participate	All of the students participated in the graduation ceremony.
Provide	They provided a solid alibi.
Put	Put your coat on the coat rack.
Pull	Pull the audio data into the report.
Quit	I quit band last year.
Quack	All the ducks quacked as soon as they saw I had leftover bread.
Qualify	A nursing degree qualifies you to take the board exams.
Raise	The shelter raises orphaned baby animals.
Read	I read a fantastic book last week.
Realize	He realized that staying home for college was the right decision.
Revere	The family reveres their personal traditions around the holidays.
Reflect	The water is so clear that it reflects the trees around it.
Recommend	My teacher recommended me to a top college.
Reduce	Our company is reducing waste by printing less and doing more digitally.
Relate	I relate to my favorite book characters.
Report	Please report back promptly at 7pm.
Require	All of my top college choices require personal essays.
Reset	Rest your wifi if it doesn’t work.
Renew	Did you renew your subscription to the magazine?
Retire	My grandparents were happy to finally retire.
Resist	She resisted the urge to watch TV while studying.
Reach	I reached under the couch for my missing sock.
Roar	The lions in the new movie look so real when they roar.
Ride	We love riding the trolley in San Francisco.
Roast	Roast the marshmallows slowly so you don’t burn them.
Run	They all ran the charity 5K this year.
Say	He said he will get back to me within the week.
Sing	Singing in front of an audience is a lot of fun.
Sit	Sit in this chair while you wait.
Send	Send the invitations in the mail.
Shake	It’s considered polite to shake hands when you meet someone.
Shower	Showering after a long day feels great.
Show	I showed everyone how to new presentation software works.
Shame	Shaming people online is a common occurrence these days.
Shock	The kids shocked their parents with elaborate gifts.
Shrink	I accidentally shrunk my favorite dress in the dryer.
Speak	She spoke clearly and intelligently during the debate.
Solve	The famous character Sherlock Holmes solves crimes by using his unique skills.
Specify	You need to specify which character is the protagonist in your essay.
Steal	Bonnie and Clyde famously stole from banks.
Serve	The tennis player served the ball.
Stop	The car stopped suddenly.
Stretch	The dog stretched when he woke up.
Stick	Joyce is concerned that her magnets won’t stick to the fridge.
Submit	I finally submitted my college applications last week.
Suggest	She suggested that I apply to more than three colleges.
Strike	The miners struck gold.
Study	Studying for the GRE is a long process.
Snuggle	The girl wanted a stuffed bear to snuggle with.
Surprise	His aunt surprised him by coming to his concert.
Swim	We all took the day off and swam at the local pool.
Take	My friend took the book back from me when I was done reading it.
Talk	We talked for hours about all the details for the surprise party.
Taste	After hours of preparation, he finally tasted the fresh tomato sauce.
Tear	I tore the cardboard in half to make it easier to recycle.
Trap	I trapped the spider in a cup and took it outside.
Tell	He told the teacher that he was sick.
Tend	A shepherd’s job is to tend to a flock of sheep.
Teach	I want to teach myself Spanish this summer.
Think	My guidance counselor thinks I have a good shot at my first choice school.
Throw	They were excited when the girl threw the ball for the first time.
Understand	I understand the difference between action, linking, and helping verbs.
Value	I’m glad I go to a school that values extracurriculars.
Volunteer	She volunteers at an after-school program twice a week.
Wait	We waited for over an hour.
Walk	He walked the dog around the lake.
Warn	We warned them to stay away from the haunted house.
Warm	She warmed up by the fire after playing outside in the snow.
Want	He wants a puppy for Christmas.
Win	They won the big tournament.
Wish	She wished her friend a happy birthday.
Write	I wrote four practice essays.
Watch	We all watch the same TV show on Saturday nights.
Wave	Wave goodbye when you leave.
Wear	Wear a hat when you go to the beach to keep the sun out of your eyes.
Yearn	Though the new laptops are beautiful, some people yearn for the old design.

Linking Verbs

Is	Mom is excited about our family trip this summer.
Am	I am worried that I’m not studying enough for my SATs.
Are	The puppies are so playful.
Was	She was so happy to finally see the show on broadway.
Were	They were disappointed that we had to leave early.
Be	I will be excited to see how this show ends next year.
Been	I’ve been open-minded about my next job opportunity.
Being	He is being stubborn.
Appear	He appears to be feeling better.
Become	He became fond of pasta after visiting Italy.
Feel	He felt tense after his meeting with his boss.
Grow	The tree in my backyard grows taller each year.
Look	You look tired from your trip.
Remain	She remained optimistic about getting into her top colleges.
Seem	You seem distracted today.
Smell	This dinner smells incredible.
Sound	Your cello sounds magnificent.
Stay	The baseball player stayed calm in a 3-2 count.
Taste	The apple pie tasted delicious.
Turn	Her fingers turned blue after being out in the cold for so long.
Prove	Her efforts proved worthwhile when she saw her report card.

Helping Verbs

Is	Everyone is wondering if we have an extra day off for the holiday weekend.
Am	I am hoping to get a positive response on this job application.
Are	They are following the teacher’s instructions on the project.
Was	I was involved with the fundraising campaign last year.
Were	They were looking for the car keys for nearly an hour.
Be	He had to be lying since he kept scratching a nostril, an obvious tell.
Been	She was nervous to go away to school, since she had never been that far from home before.
Has	She has wandered off before.
Have	We have always stayed in the same cabin at the lake.
Had	I had worked on the campaign for clean water before working for the National Parks Service.
Does	My brother does know the Netflix password, he just won’t tell me what it is.
Do	I do understand the different parts of speech, but I need to practice identifying them.
Did	I did remember to buy a new toothbrush, but left toothpaste off my shipping list.
Can	We can run the 5K and then go to the picnic.
Will	When we go hiking, we will hike the most difficult trail.
Shall	We shall eat breakfast promptly at 8am tomorrow.
Could	I could volunteer for the food drive again, or try something different.
Would	My class would participate more if we got participation points as an incentive.
Should	I should begin my homework, but I’m way too into this book right now.
Must	You must check to make sure you’re fulfilling all of the credits you need.
May	I may treat myself this year for my birthday.
Might	I might take a computer science class this semester.

As you can see from this list, there are a ton of verbs you can use to form sentences and to strengthen your speech and writing. Making sure you have a multitude of verb examples in your vocabulary will make it easier to identify parts of speech, and will ensure that your writing is specific, concise, and non-repetitive. Make sure you consider what type of verb you’re using, even when you don’t think you have to pay attention to it. Verbs are all around us, and especially after reading this list, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking for more teaching tools, check out these awesome games to learn English and alphabet games.

Love teaching the parts of speech and thinking about a teaching career? Read about how to get a teaching degree, and about getting an early childhood education degree.